Geography:
The Republic of Srpska is situated in the central part of Balkan Peninsula (South-East Europe) within the borders of ex-Yugoslavia. It covers an area of 25.053 sq. km. The territory is grouped in two main regions, North-Western part of Srpska (consisting of Banja Luka Krajina region and Posavina region), and Eastern part of Srpska (consisting of Semberija and Majevica region, Drina region, Sarajevo and Romanija region and Herzegovina region). Some 55% of its territory is covered by forest mountains, and the highest peak is Maglic (Herzegovina region) at the altitude of 2.350 m above sea level. The climate in general is the continental one with long snowy winters and dry hot summers, with the exception to the Herzegovina region which enjoys the benefits of the Mediterranean climate.
The capital of the Republic is the city of Banja Luka the main administrative center and the seat of the Government. Banja Luka (pop. 218.436) is the main business center is in the North- Western part of the country, with well developed agriculture, industry and services sector. The main airport is located there, and it is connected with the other parts of the country by rail and roads. Bijeljina (pop. 105.057) is situated in the North-East part of the country. It is a well-developed agricultural and trading center.
Trebinje (pop.30.154) is the main center for Herzegovina region, with developed Mediterranean agriculture and industry. The vicinity of Port of Bar in Montenegro makes it a good location for future development. The other important centers in the Republic are Prijedor, Doboj, Zvornik, Visegrad, Srbinje, Derventa and Brcko.
Formerly a part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and later on of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, this region had a specific status in development. The general direction was towards the development of energy exploitation, metallurgy and industry. However, the territory of the Republic of Srpska has a very good potential for development, especially given its well-educated population and the structure of the economy in which all the sectors are represented. The natural beauty of the country can be compared to the one of Switzerland or Austria, and the natural resources provide a good basis for future development.
Republika Srpska, one of the two entities that together comprise the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Republika Srpska comprises 49% of the land area of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is home to about 34% of the population.
Population
The population of the Republic of Srpska is estimated to be in the region of 1.391.000 of which approximately over 90% are of Serb ethnic origin and the remaining 10% are mainly Croats and Muslims. The population density is 55,5 persons per square kilometer. The official language is Serbian. Some 50.000 residents of the Republic work abroad, mainly in EU countries (Germany, France, Austria, Sweden).
Government
The Government of Republika Srpska is composed of the prime minister and the heads of the sixteen ministries. The National Assembly also selects two deputy prime ministers from among the ministers from different constituent peoples (Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks) on the recommendation of the prime minister.
The law requires that eight ministers be elected from the Serb population, five from the Bosniak population, and three from the Croat population. The prime minister may also appoint one minister from among the "others" population (out of the largest constituent ethnic group).
Under the Law on Ministries adopted in October 2002, the tasks of the administration of Republika Srpska are carried out by ministries, republican administrative units, and republican administrative organizations.
Tourism
In the heart of the Balkans, in the North and East of Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is Republika Srpska. Although territorially small, Republika Srpska has rich, but remote natural resources. They represent its main characteristic and a great advantage, since the climate zones spread from the mediterranean, in the southern Herzegovina, to moderate-continental one, which prevails in the northern parts.
Nature, the great creator, has generously given bounty and beauties to these people who and respect their land as the most sacred thing, lf we have to choose the most precious jewels from the natural wealth of Republika Srpska, those will certainly be its high mountains of Zelengora, Treskavica, Jahorina, Romanija, then Grmec, Kozara, Ozren and many others, rich in forests and wild game.
In the lowlands of Republika Srpska there are fruitful cornfields of Posavina and Semberija, and Lijevce Polje. The hilly area of Potkozarje and Podgrmec and Karst of Herzegovina, with its fields like green brooches, represent the varieties of natural beauty. Water flows of the powerful rivers Una, Sana, Vrbas, Ukrina, Drina and Tara, most certainly, the clearest rivers in the whole Balkans, are rich in all fishes.
History has, since the Roman times and Slav settling to the constructive, and also destructive 20th century, left numerous cultural-historical monuments and traces of rich spiritual inheritance of the peoples who have lived and survived on this meeting point and crossroads of cultures and civilizations - in the Balkans, the cradle of Europe.
